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I’m still basking from Valentine’s joy (read: chocolate galore) … and the anticipation of warmer weather ahead. So when I saw this month’s color scheme – I had to make a happy love related card. Here are the colors:

Here’s my card:

I used heart and sentiment stamps are from Gourmet Rubber Stamps Happy Heart Day set. My banner is actually a Momenta border that I cut off and the those strips are washi tape from my extensive collection.

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Check out these very detailed and elegant stamps from Crafter’s Companion – the Crysalis collection. They are illustrated by Christine Haworth who also designed the timeless and elegant Paintbox Poppets line of stamps.

If you enjoy coloring – these will bring you great joy! She was colored with Spectrum Noir markers. The sentiment stamp is also from the Crysalis line of stamps – gorgeous isn’t it. Paper is from Crate Paper.

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Welcome to this month’s Gourmet Rubber Stamp sketch challenge. This one is a simple one today and definately lends itself to a CAS card … right up my alley:

Strangely, I just noticed I like horizontal layouts so I always flip my sketches … here’s my take:

This truffle set – Music - is one of my favorite! Those little banner is actually from Jenni Bowlin chipboard banners and I covered them with washi tape. Check out what the other girls on the team did with this sketch and which stamp sets they used:

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I am totally excited to announce that Crafter’s Companion has a fabulous new release this week – nine new stamp sets and a coordinating CD-ROM. We are celebrating this fun launch with an international blog hop with both the US and UK design teams!

Last but definately not least, we will pick one random WINNER on a US team members blog to win these 4 EZ Mount Angelica and Friends sets of our choice worth $40!!

US prize is open to US residents only; participants have until Wed, Feb 6 at 9:00 PM PST to enter; winner will be announced on Crafter’s Companion USA blog on Thursday. Leave me a comment to be eligible and Happy Hopping!

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Gourmet Rubber Stamps welcomes Febuary, Valentine’s Day, a new Design Team Coordinator – Kendra Wietstock, a new design team member – Melissa Cash, a new appetizer set coming out middle of the month and lots of exciting new things that comes with it … Here’s a new card to start.

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When I think of Febuary, Valentine’s Day is the 1st thing that comes to my mind. I have love to share – mine is not a new crazy, can’t keep your hands off each other kind of teenage love but one that has grown, stablized and matured over the many years. One that I have come to appreciate more and more.

Those delicate flowers, both wedding sentiments and gorgeous embossing powders are courtesy of Stampendous and just newly released this past month.

From Valentines to Wedding Planning, Stampendous has lots to love, just add a dash of creative imagination. Our new Valentine Kiddos, our Perfectly Clear Stamps long-stemmed Rose Thoughts Set, our popular Heart Stack (available in Michaels Stores), and some brand new Wedding stamps joining our classics in our January Catalog ( http://bit.ly/StampendousJanuary2013) mean you can show us the love in lots of ways.

We’d love to see your ideas for Jumbo Flower Wedding Invites; sweet classrooms full of Valentines; scrapbook pages celebrating loves past, present, and future; even cards and projects just celebrating love in general. Show us what you love and link your project to the linky tool below for your chance to win some love from us! Be sure and check out the design team inspiration for ideas to spark your affections. You can use any images on your entries, but Stampendous images (and not just words) count twice. (and yes, you can enter, but to win you must have a U.S. Mailing Address) (BTW…nothing says love like embossing it yourself!) Come join us!

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How are you holding up in this frigid cold this week? I feel this burning desire to go somewhere warm lately and this summer vacation layout (to a very very hot country) was born.

All the travel word stamps, the background passport and immigration stamps, the belt at the top of the layout and the luggage are all from Stampendous brand new travel stamp sets that was just released this month at CHA. These came from 2 sets and will be available to you very shortly. Photos are from my 2012 summer vacation to Hong Kong and Singapore. Enjoy!

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Is anyone trying to multi-task, kill two birds with one stone, crunched for time, etc etc etc? Here is a two-fer challenge for ya!

Make a card or a project with this sketch in mind:

and in this color scheme:

Now that is a very simple sketch and a very gorgeous color scheme … and here is my simple card with a sweet sweet color theme, using the BRAND NEW Gourmet Rubber Stamps Truffles set called Thinking of You. Patterned paper is from My Mind’s Eye and inks generously provided by Tsukineko.

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Every new year, after I’m cleaned up from the holiday madness and sometime around middle of January, I get nostalgic and pensive as I reflect on the year past and the year forthcoming. This is when I start cleaning out the studio and organizing everything by theme – to keep, to throw, to make, you get the point. So today’s Paper Craft Planet 3D challenge is to create a project around the theme of “reflection”.

I decorated a mirror for today’s 3D project using newly released Stampendous stamps – Cling Kids on Wheels, Cling Garden Gal and Cling Tree Poem. Mirror was also distressed and embellished with some gorgeous Frantage Essentials from Stampendous.

Please tag your photo 3d200 and upload it to the PCP gallery I can’t wait to see what you make.

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CHA season always brings out the excitement in me – seriously, how can you not be excited about new products and in today’s post – new stamps from Crafter’s Companion Stamp It line … it’s a HUGE release of 14 new stamp sets and over 100 images (it’s more than that but I stopped counting at 100).

I only used 2 stamps (the script and the floral image) in that 14 stamp set … it’s your sneak peak for those of you who are not at CHA right now.

I made these puppies into little fridge magnets – stamped it, fussy cut out and added a layer of Beacon Fast Finish decoupage medium so it is a little hardier for little finger playing with fridge magnets. The back is just an adhesive backed magnet you can find in any arts and crafts store.

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Well, I’m sad I’m not at CHA this year. But for those of you who are not there now, let’s have some fun at home with this sketch:

I didn’t follow the sketch too closely – the vertical and horizontal panel were what caught my eye and I needed to go with the flow … it’s the rebel in me and since I’m don’t get to go to CHA this year, I’m unleashing my inner rebel! and I even left the image uncolored ..take that!

The stamp set I used is an oldie but one of my favorite – Clothesline Greetings. Perfect for an every day greeting and there is also another image on that set for a new baby! Check out how my other team mates interpreted the sketch – it’s an inspiration I tell ya!

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Happy 2013! So surreal that I’m typing 2013 – I have been in such a post holiday funk for such a long time .. from having too much to do, too much to eat, too much to clean …

However, I had to dig myself out of my rut because I am BEYOND excited to announce a whole new Truffles release from Gourmet Rubber Stamps. These truffle sets are just a 2-stamps set: image + matching sentiment = a whole lot of fun! Here is just 1 set that I used:

Check out some of the other Truffles set used by the rest of the talented design team:

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There are so many adorable and “must-haves” things when I scroll through the Crafter’s Companion website – stamps, Spectrum Noir markers, The Ultimate Crafter’s Companion, adhesives, the list just goes on. Seriously, it takes me WAY too long to pick out the things Crafter’s Companion sends me every month. This week, we are focusing on our favorite things (imagine how hard it was for me to pick 1 favorite). But I have finally decided it has got to be this Paintbox Poppets stamp set (I’m showing this now in case I change my mind by the next sentence):

If I had picked out one of the SWALK, Humphrey, Mulberry Wood or Torread stamp sets, we would be here all year! But this is my favorite because I love how even the little sentiment stamps in the set of gorgeous image stamp can create one of my favorite cards and I reach for those tickets again and again (the tickets are blank in the set – I stamped the words in, and they are also part of the set). Really versatile set!

Oh and how can I pick and favorite and not give it away!! Head on over to the Crafter’s Companion blog to win my favorite stamp set!

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I hope your Christmas went well. Every year, I toy about the idea of not sending Christmas cards but send New Years cards instead. Well, I sent Christmas cards this year to some of my friends but I have a handful I send New Years cards too .. maybe that’s my way to make a transition … in drips and draps. Here’s a New Year card I made to a dear friend:

It’s full of the colors I love and the products I love and the most appropriate image for my BFF. Best wishes for the New Year to you!

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I am a mother to 2, a wife to 1, a daughter, a sister, a card maker, a scrapper, a knitter, a quilter, a shopaholic, a business owner, a wearer of many hats.

Papercrafting came into my life in 2006 after my son was born. He inspired me to create. The goal of my blog is to allow us to share and inspire each other with our art and for me to provide an update of sales events for my greeting card business, Arty Carty Handmade Cards

Thank you for visiting my blog and I’m truly excited to get to know you.